The journey that Sarah and Lieutenant Forsythe take from India to England is one that travellers in the early 1800s would have had to brave before the Suez Canal was completed and the establishment of direct voyages from England to India.

The two departed from Bombay on the Hugh Lindsay steamer, a boat that sailed between Bombay and Suez. It was a vessel built by the East India Company and weighed 411 tons. She never carried cargo, but mainly carried mail and passengers. She was confined to chugging backwards and forwards on the Red Sea rather than trying to sail the full distance between Bombay and Portsmouth.

There was no direct route between England and India in 1838 so travellers had to journey to Suez and then from Suez to Cairo over 80 miles of desert on camels or sand carts. The port of Cairo was a donkey ride from the city where passengers had to then sail on the Nile to Enfe. From Enfe they would then have to take the Mahmoudieh Canal to the city of Alexandria.

Alexandria was the last city that travellers had to visit before taking a steamer to Portsmouth, and then finally a coach ride or horse would take travellers from Portsmouth to London.

This journey could take months to complete if the weather was bad. Construction on the Suez Canal began in 1859 and was finished in 1869. It was opened on 17th November 1869.

The Suez Canal begins at Port Said, a city that was established for the canal in Egypt and finishes at Port Twefik, now known as the Suez Port. When the canal was completed the journey between England and India was reduced down to only ten to twenty days.

It was originally a single-lane waterway with places at the Ballah Bypass and the Great Bitter Lake for ships to pass each other.

Seawater flows freely through the canal as it has no locks or gates. In 2014, construction began to expand the canal which was officially opened on 24th February 2016.

Not everything is as simple as it first appears in the Mysteries of Stickleback Hollow. Step back in time to Victorian England with these charming books that combine the best of Jane Austen, Agatha Christie and the quintessentially British country manor to bring you historical fiction that will leave your heart racing.

If all that wasn’t enough to look forward to, there will be some big changes to the Mightier Than the Sword UK site that include exclusive access areas, all new micro sites for each book series and a whole host of other changes.

2018 is set to be a big year here at Mightier Than the Sword UK and we hope that you all have amazing years as well! Keep reading!

You might be aware of C.S. Woolley’s work with Foxton Books, modernising the classics and simplifying them so that those learning English can enjoy reading the complicated narratives even when they know only a small portion of the language.

Well this is not the only way that she is working to help education. She has produced a pilot work scheme that is centred around Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. The aim of the work scheme is to bring those children that have failed Key Stage 2 and are entering Key Stage 3 to not only pass Key Stage 2 but get up to the desired Key Stage 3 level in a single term.

This is accomplished by the use of workbooks that contain a modernised version of the Merchant of Venice, written by C.S. Woolley, that matches with the original text, line for line. Along side the text there are a series of assessments and writing frames that include phonics, prepositions, verbs and adverbs, conjunctions, recall and expansion of ideas. The workbooks have an accompanying Teacher’s Guide which contains the Key Stage 3 assessment criteria, the answers to the assessment questions and definitions to help with teaching grammatical tools such as prepositions and conjunctions.

Each of these items is for sale separately through Amazon or as a work scheme package through the Mightier Than the Sword UK online store. The work scheme package includes 24 workbooks and a teacher’s guide for the price of £80. The scheme is still in the pilot stage and feedback on it is appreciated, and there are plans to roll out similar schemes for all of Shakespeare’s work across all Key Stage levels and adding workbooks that cover both the subjects of History and English.

If you’re looking to purchase gifts for Christmas from the Mightier Than the Sword UK online store, then today is the LAST day that you can do that. As it takes at least two working days to process orders, we will do our best to process any orders placed after today before we close for Christmas on 19th December.

You will still be able to order items from the online store and there will be online help available to advise you of processing times during the closure of the offices. Our offices reopen on 8th January 2018 when we will recommence the processing of all back orders in the order that they were received. Our standard processing time on an order is between two and five working days. The reason for the processing time is down to making appointments with our authors in order to get books signed. (We can’t keep them in their cages all the time).

If you have any questions about an order you have placed or any of our products, then please feel free to contact the online store.

The following items are available from the online store:

Paperbacks

A Miracle of Grace by Harry Mirfin

Brothers by Marlena R. Smith

In Exchange by Steven M. Caddy

We Do Not Kill Children (Book 1, Tales from Ragaris) by Penelope Wallace

The 10th Province of Jaryar (Book 2, Tales from Ragaris) by Penelope Wallace

FATE (Book 1, The Children of Ribe)by C.S. Woolley

WAR (Book 2, The Children of Ribe)by C.S. Woolley

WIFRITH (Book 3, The Children of Ribe)by C.S. Woolley

DOUBT (Book 4, The Children of Ribe)by C.S. Woolley

SKANE (Book 5, The Children of Ribe)by C.S. Woolley

SHIPWRECKED (Book 6, The Children of Ribe)by C.S. Woolley

FEAR (Book 7, The Children of Ribe)by C.S. Woolley

HOME (Book 8, The Children of Ribe)by C.S. Woolley

The Arm Rings of Yngvar Collection (Books 1 to 8, The Children of Ribe)by C.S. Woolley

The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare Simplified) by C.S. Woolley and William Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice Workbook (Shakespeare Simplified) by C.S. Woolley and William Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice Teacher’s Guide (Shakespeare Simplified) by C.S. Woolley and William Shakespeare

You can also get a range of exclusive posters, gift sets, postcards and other merchandise from the online store as well as the debut EP of the acoustic rock duo, The Tinderbox, entitled The Tortoise and the Hare.

For those of you who are already fans of the series,you may know that there is a cricket element in the naming scheme of the characters, but in this book cricket has landed. Though the game itself doesn’t get unfolded play by play, match by match in the narrative, you do get a taste for the sport.

After all, in Stickleback Hollow, nothing is as simple as it first appears.

Book 5 in the Mysteries of Stickleback Hollow

When her parents die from fever, Lady Sarah Montgomery Baird Watson-Wentworth has to leave India, a land she was born and raised in, and travel to England for the first time. Finding it almost impossible to adjust to London society, Sarah flees to the county of Cheshire and the country estate of Grangeback that borders the village of Stickleback Hollow. A place filled with oddballs, eccentrics and more suspicious characters than you can shake a stick at, Sarah feels more at home in the sleepy little village than she ever did in the big city; however, even sleepy little villages have mysteries that must be solved.

It’s March and the Grand Tournament is upon Stickleback Hollow. Reverend Percy Butterfield is thrilled to see cricket returning to the village and the best that Lancashire, Yorkshire and Staffordshire have to offer to the village cricketing world are all coming to vie for the title of champion.

But something is not right in Stickleback Hollow, items are still missing and there is a familiar face lurking in the shadow that could spell trouble for Sarah, Arwyn and Alex.

With Christmas fast approaching and the release of the second of the Tales from Ragaris, we thought it would be a good idea to remind you all of what makes these two offerings from author, Penelope Wallace, such perfect Christmas gifts.

“We do not kill children; we do not commit rape; we do not take pleasure in torment.”

Dorac Kingsbrother was one of the King’s Thirty in the kingdom of Marod. That was before he was found guilty of the murder of Lord Gahran’s three children. Though Gahran was a traitor, his children were innocent. The code of the King’s Thirty leaves no room for such a barbaric act, and for this heinous crime Dorac faces a life in exile.

The shame of such a sentence is something that Dorac can’t brook, and so he sets off on a journey to the Old Stones, the place where those that seek death meet their end. Followed by Gormad, a child in search of adventure, Dorac is not alone on his final journey.

But not everyone believes that Dorac is guilty. Gemara Kingsister, head of the Six, investigates the murder of Gahran’s children; though there is more at stake than the life of a lone warrior in this, the first of the Tales from Ragaris.

The Chronicles of Celadmore is a fantasy series based in a fictional realm, written by C.S. Woolley. The Chronicles of Celadmore fall into the epic fantasy end of the fantasy genre with some influencing elements of gothic fiction and gritty realism that combine to create a fantasy series that is for those who like fantasy and those who don’t. Some of the more fantastical elements of magic and mythical beasts are missing from the series which makes them accessible to those who normally avoid the fantasy genre.

The realm of Celadmore is one that is fully formed with lots of different kingdoms that each have their own cultures, languages and religions. They also have their own histories, intrigues and relationships with other kingdoms and there is even a coalition of Free Cities that do not bend the knee to any monarch. The Chronicles of Celadmore follow the royal line of Anagura and Queteria, the founders of the tribal people known as the Order. There are also plans for a spin off series of novels under the series title The Dragonian Wars.

Rising Empire: Part 1

The nine kingdoms of Celadmore are at war. The people suffer under tyrants that strive to gain land and power in the struggle for superiority. As war threatens to tear Celadmore to pieces, Kasnata struggles to bring peace back to the realm. She fights against venality to bring hope to all those that are oppressed. Can she find the strength to fight knowing the fate of her people rests on her?

Rising Empire: Part 2

A blood moon rises and madness is unleashed The nine kingdoms of Celadmore are at war. The people suffer under tyrants that strive to gain land and power in the struggle for superiority. Kasnata, Queen of the Order and Queen of Nosfa leads her armies against the people of Delma. A war she did not want to fight, but her husband, the King of Nosfa, Mercia Nosfa VI has forced her hand.

Rising Empire: Part 3

The streets run red with rebellion. The siege of Delma has not been broken. Kasna remains a prisoner, a prize of war and a bargain chip to be used against her mother. Duke Kelmar DeLacey, the Regent of Delma, must choose between obeying his King, gone mad, and the woman he loves, the daughter of his most dangerous enemy.

Rising Empire Trilogy (Books 1 to 3)

The Chronicles of Celadmore is a fantasy series based in a fictional realm, written by C.S. Woolley. The Chronicles of Celadmore fall into the epic fantasy end of the fantasy genre with some influencing elements of gothic fiction and gritty realism that combine to create a fantasy series that is for those who like fantasy and those who don’t.

Shroud of Darkness

In the realm of Celadmore, evil is stirring. The war torn land has not recovered from the last conflict as evil rises and threatens to ensnare the world of light. Venetia, favourite daughter of Queen Annalia, must fight enemies and allies alike. She must uncover truth amidst deception to discover the source of this new threat to her world before the darkness engulfs it.

Lady of Fire

United they must stand for destruction is upon them. The realm of Celadmore faces it’s destruction as a war that none perceived is brought against them. Venetia, Queen of the Order of Anagura and Queteria, must forge a new alliance between the nations of Celadmore against the evil that Aksoth, Lord of Nether Roth, is set to unleash. The Allied Spirit of Celadmore must be raised and march once more.

End of Days

The end is here. Aksoth’s forces roam unchecked across the plains of Celadmore; the people of Celadmore have been forced to retreat to the fallen city of Grashindorph. Revolution stirs amongst the poorest of the people; Venetia seeks to restore Gruagadon to his rightful place on the throne of Nesca and will sacrifice anything to get him there. In this final bastion, they must find victory.

Shroud of Darkness Trilogy (Books 4 to 6)

A fantasy book trilogy that was 16 years in the making. The trilogy follows Venetia, a queen amongst her people in the fantasy realm of Celadmore. Strange occurrences in her home world have Venetia searching for answers as to whether an old evil has returned or if a new threat has arisen. This digital boxset includes Shroud of Darkness, Lady of Fire and End of Days.

When Darkness Falls

Peace cannot survive as a new threat rises. Gruagadon is king, the dead kingdom of Nesca has been resurrected by the return of the Fallen Prince to the throne, but all is not well in the realm of Celadmore. One evil has been defeated, Venetia, Allamonto, Kania and Nodarto gave their lives, along with many others, to defeat Aksoth, but as one evil falls another rises to take its place. A new guardian brought the old age to an end, but the nature of evil is set to endure.

Murder, Mayhem, and that’s just the heroine

Nicolette Mace is not your average private detective. Join in this first person, modern, crime noir world alongside policemen Fred Barlow and Harry Lee.

My name is Nicolette Mace, though the city knows me as the Raven Siren. I’m the youngest private investigator most people have ever come across. I’ve been in hospital more times than I have been in a school class room. I was playing with guns when I was four years old; I knew how to drive cars at seven. I’ve spent most of my life running around the toughest and meanest streets this city has to offer and they haven’t found something that can kill me yet.

I am Nicolette Mace, I am the Raven Siren and nothing is going to stop me from taking my revenge.

Set in Viking Denmark before the invasion of Britain, the Children of Ribe is a Viking saga for both children and adults alike. Following the adventure traditions of Enid Blyton and Arthur Ransome, the Children of Ribe books are perfect for engaging even the most reluctant of readers. Packed with characters who are easy to identify with, mythic creatures, fairy tales, Viking culture, historic places, danger, family, honour, duty, betrayal, love and magic.

Welcome to Denmark, home of the Vikings

When fate knocks at the door, it doesn’t matter how old you are or whether you want to go on an adventure or not.

The town of Ribe is the home of four children whose lives are turned upside down when Dalla Ingeborgsdotter arrives in the town. The tales of the storyweavers are no longer just stories to be recited by the fireside and the long peace between the tribes of Denmark looks sure to be shattered.

Join Erland Kabelsen, Christian Andersen, Dalla Ingeborgsdotter, Eva Axeldatter, Riki Andersen and Wifrith the Wolf as they set out on a journey that will change their lives and save their people.

The Children of Ribe is a Viking Saga for children bringing the culture and mythology of the Danish Vikings to life. The book series has been influenced by Enid Blyton, Arthur Ransome, Susan Cooper, J R R Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.

Based in Denmark during the time of the Vikings, these books are tales of magic and danger that are suitable for children from the ages of seven and up to read on their own but also perfect for people to read to children from the age of 4.

The Children of Ribe is a modern fairy tale that brings elements of Danish folklore and mythology to life mixed with elements of Viking culture. These books have been designed to help children with dyslexia to read. You can watch author C.S. Woolley talking about dyslexia and reading from FATE, book 1 in the Children of Ribe series here: https://youtu.be/EcnKLKa5c98

Whether you are interested in Vikings, studying them at school, or are simply shopping for the perfect gift for your favourite bookworm, the Children of Ribe series is just what you are looking for.